Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Reacts to Spider-Man: Phone Home Joke Title

Earlier today came some leg-pulling from Spider-Man star Tom Holland, who got the ball rolling on an ever-continuing online prank about what the title for the third Spider-Man movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be. According to Holland, the film’s title is “Spider-Man: Phone Home,” continuing not only the “Home” naming convention of the series but also referencing 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Though that’s not the official title of the film, Steven Spielberg‘s Amblin got in on the fun and tweeted about it, writing: “Been there, done that, Web-Head. (You can borrow our Speak & Spell if you need help constructing a communicator to phone home to Aunt May. ;))”

It was previously confirmed that the upcoming third Spider-Man from Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures would keep “Home” in the title, but “Phone Home” was always a little too on the nose considering the association with Spielberg’s classic. Official details on the film have not been confirmed, as the title prank can attest. Based on casting reports and confirmed news that the movie will tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness the prevailing theory is that a live-action Spider-Verse could take place on screen. To that end, depending on the universe that the film primarily takes place in, Holland’s Peter Parker would no doubt attempt to phone home at some point.

“The film is incredibly ambitious, and I’m delighted to say that we’re succeeding in making it,” Holland told Yahoo. “It’s going really well. We watched a fight scene that we had shot a few weeks ago, and I’ve never seen a fight scene quite like it in the MCU. I’m really excited for audiences to see that….I saw an edit three or four days ago of a fight scene that we’ve been shooting for about a month, and it is easily the most impressive fight scene I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie. I was blown away by it.”

Confirmed cast members in the film that will join Holland are Jacob Batalon returning as Ned with Zendaya as MJ, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. If rumors are to be believed, former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will reprise their parts for the movie as well, though Holland denies this.

Spider-Man 3 is currently set for release on December 17th of this year.